28/1.8  KONICA UC HEXANON AR

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

75º

8/8

Automatic

1.8 to 16 + AE

At full aperture

0.18m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

63mm

66mm

380g

1975-80

1

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                    ●

This is a legendary, top-performance lens with a cult following. It is the fastest of the Hexanon wide-angle lenses and was probably the fastest on the market in this focal length when introduced. It's speed places it firmly among the handful of "available-light" wide-angle lenses available at the time of its introduction. Its ‘UC’ coatings and excellent internal baffling produce very contrasty images with outstanding color rendition. Optimized for performance at wider apertures, this is the only Hexanon lens whose optical formula includes a floating element, thanks to which it is extremely well corrected for sharpness, especially at closer distances, and razor-sharp edge-to-edge. It's other outstanding feature is its ability to focus to 18cm from the film plane. Modern Photography claimed it was one of the best-built and sharpest lenses it had ever tested. It is twice as large as Konica’s other 28mm lenses (‘ultra-compact’ it is not) and the best of them all. It is one of the most sought after Hexanon lenses and one of the most expensive. 

 28/3.5  KONICA HEXANON ARP

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

75º

7/6

Preset

3.5 to 22

Stopped down

0.3m

Screw-in, 58mm

Clip-on, 60mm

49mm

 62mm

270g

1965-69

1

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                  ●

Preset lenses were quite common in the sixties. Most of the Hexanon AR preset lenses seem to originate from the F-mount period (1960-1965), when several lenses were offered in two versions – automatic aperture operation and manually preset aperture. All of them have an elegant high-gloss black finish and were manufactured at the time of the Auto-Reflex double-format. Their slower operation makes them better suited for unhurried and studied photography. They all have an aperture of 12 blades which form an almost perfect circle and which close down to f22. The 28/3.5 is one of two Hexanon prime preset lenses that had no corresponding lens in the F-mount era, the other being the 200/5.6. The 28/3.5 was only introduced with the Auto-Reflex in 1965. It is Konica’s first 28mm of any type. It is quite large considering its focal length and its size and shape indicate that it was probably designed during the F-mount period. 

 28/3.5  KONICA HEXANON AR

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

75º

7/7 (5/5)

Automatic

3.5 to 16 (22) + AE

At full aperture

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

45mm (36mm)

 63mm (63mm)

210g (175g)

1965-78

4

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                     ●

A lens whose original design goes back to the middle sixties, it was produced in 4 different versions and is one of the most common Hexanons. Its focal distance, in conjunction with its f3.5 aperture, make this lens an ideal walk-around lens in an urban setting, when time for accurate focusing may be short.  It is a lens that performs very well, with great sharpness and contrast, especially the last 7/7 version (the version with a rubber covered focusing ring, made in the years 1973-78). The new 5/5 version was one of three compact lenses manufactured by Konica and introduced in 1978, the other two being the 135/3.5 and the 200/4.0. It shows a slight drop in optical performance. Some suspect that it is, in fact, the Hexar 28mm, because it was introduced the very year the production of Hexar lenses ended, and because the two lenses’ optical formula seems identical. 

 28/3.5  KONICA HEXAR AR  

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

75º

5/5

3.5 to 16 + AE

Automatic

At full aperture

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

38mm

65mm

195g

1975-78

1

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                    ●

The three Hexars were apparently intended as entry-level lenses for budget-conscious users willing to consider slight technical compromises. Their optical construction is simpler, with fewer elements, which reduced manufacturing costs. Cost-saving measures included the elimination of half-stop detents on the aperture ring, delivery in a vinyl case instead of a leatherette-clad one as for the Hexanon lenses and a soft plastic front lens cap. Although the three Hexars are not quite as sophisticated as their Hexanon counterparts, they are nevertheless very good lenses that perform very well. Today the three Hexar lenses cost as much, and often more, than their Hexanon equivalents. This is mainly due to the renown the Hexar brand has acquired in the nineties with the Hexar rangefinders, and to the fact that the Hexars are rarer than their Hexanon equivalents. They were possibly manufactured by Tamron. The 28mm Hexar is slightly smaller than the 7/7 28mm Hexanon and slightly larger than the 5/5 version introduced in 1978. The lens is quite sharp and has the advantage of a somewhat recessed front element, which helps reduce flare.

 35/2.0  KONICA HEXANON AR

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

63º

9/7

Automatic

2.0 to 16 + AE

At full aperture

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

57mm

65mm

320g

1971-87

2

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                    ●

The 35mm is an excellent choice as a general purpose lens and some photographers prefer its perspective to that of the usual 50mm standard lenses. Konica’s first 35/2.0 was made for the Konica F and was only produced in 1960. Ten years later Konica revived this lens, albeit in a much streamlined form. The newer lens took 55mm filters instead of 72mm and its glass elements were smaller, but its basic optical formula remained the same. It is very sharp but tends to be slightly softer wide open than its f2.8 cousin. It seems to have better coatings than the 35/2.8, however, given its superior color rendition, which makes it a perfect lens for shooting slides. It is a bright lens and one of the best lenses of its type when introduced. It is much rarer than its slightly dimmer friend and often costs 2-3 times more.  

35/2.8  KONICA HEXANON ARP

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

63º

6/5

Preset

2.8 to 22

Stopped down

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

57mm

62mm

235g

1965-69

1

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                   ●

Preset lenses were quite common in the sixties. Most of the Hexanon AR preset lenses seem to originate from the F-mount period (1960-1965), when several lenses were offered in two versions – automatic aperture operation and manually preset aperture. All of them have an elegant high-gloss black finish and were manufactured at the time of the Auto-Reflex double-format. Their slower operation makes them better suited for unhurried and studied photography. They all have an aperture made of 12 blades which form an almost perfect circle and which close down to f22. The 35/2.8 preset is a carry-over from the F-mount era, when it was offered in automatic and preset versions. This lens’ basic optical construction remained unchanged from the introduction of the Konica F (1960) until 1980. 

35/2.8  KONICA HEXANON AR                                                                        Earlier model

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

63º

6/5

Automatic

2.8 to 16 + AE

At full aperture

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

57mm

63mm

235g

1965-81

4

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                     ●

The 35mm is an excellent choice as a general purpose lens and some photographers prefer its perspective to that of the usual 50mm standard lenses. The 35/2.8 was first made for Konica’s F-mount cameras in the first half of the sixties. It remained basically unchanged for about two decades, when it was replaced by the compact version. There is also a preset version of this lens with the same optical formula and an aperture of f22. It is, therefore, one of the most common Hexanon lenses. An excellent quality lens, even if it doesn’t perform quite as well as the f2.0 version. A compact version of this lens, with an aperture of f22 and better coatings, was introduced in 1981. That version is quite rare and more expensive. It is one of three compact Hexanon wide-angles introduced between 1979 and 1982 (the three musketeers, as I call them). Its manufacturing was subcontracted to Tokina. 

35/2.8  KONICA HEXANON AR                                                                           Later model

Specifications:

Field of view

Elements / groups 

Aperture system

Aperture Scale

Metering

Closest focusing distance

Filters

Hood

Length

Diameter

Weight (~)

Years of production

Number of versions

Rarity

63º

5/5

Automatic

2.8 to 22 + AE

At full aperture

0.3m

Screw-in, 55mm

Clip-on, 57mm

39mm

63mm

200g

1981-87

1

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Optical diagram:

Comments:                                                                                                                                                                    ●

The 35mm is an excellent choice as a general purpose lens and some photographers prefer its perspective to that of the usual 50mm standard lenses. The 35/2.8 was first made for Konica’s F-mount cameras in the first half of the sixties. It remained basically unchanged for about two decades, when it was replaced by the compact version. There is also a preset version of this lens with the same optical formula and an aperture of f22. It is, therefore, one of the most common Hexanon lenses. An excellent quality lens, even if it doesn’t perform quite as well as the f2.0 version. A compact version of this lens, with an aperture of f22 and better coatings, was introduced in 1981. That version is quite rare and more expensive. It is one of three compact Hexanon wide-angles introduced between 1979 and 1982 (the three musketeers, as I call them). Its manufacturing was subcontracted to Tokina. 

"Generally, Konica lenses have an outstanding reputation. For years the Konica sales slogan was ‘The lens alone is worth the price’ – and it was."

Stephen Gandy